Politics, Veteran Legislative Update, Veterans Benefits, Veterans' Spouses, Partners & Families

New Veterans Administration Web Site

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The following is for your information and distribution to your members.

John A Miterko
Veterans Advocate

New VA Website

Same name; new face! On Veterans Day, VA rolled out the first phase of a large-scale Web renovation to better serve America’s Veterans. This is the first and most visible step of changing VA’s Web domain to better serve Veterans and their families by making it easier for them to find the information they need about benefits and programs. Long term, VA goals for its Web presence are to make it easier and more inviting for Veterans by focusing on topics and tasks rather than office functions, improving the navigational structure to ensure consistency, and making it more visually appealing. The new Web site design will cover more than 500 VA Web sites and about 80,000 pages. Major changes include improvements in the navigational structure that provide consistency among all sites and consolidate major topics; a slide show section that showcases current VA events or hot topics; and bottom columns that feature news items, highlights and a “Quick List” with links directly to important applications such as Veterans On Line Applications (VONAPP) and MyHealtheVet. Check out VA’s new Web face by clicking here.

Same name; new face! On Veterans Day, VA rolled out the first phase of a large-scale Web renovation to better serve America’s Veterans. This is the first and most visible step of changing VA’s Web domain to better serve Veterans and their families by making it easier for them to find the information they need about benefits and programs. Long term, VA goals for its Web presence are to make it easier and more inviting for Veterans by focusing on topics and tasks rather than office functions, improving the navigational structure to ensure consistency, and making it more visually appealing. The new Web site design will cover more than 500 VA Web sites and about 80,000 pages. Major changes include improvements in the navigational structure that provide consistency among all sites and consolidate major topics; a slide show section that showcases current VA events or hot topics; and bottom columns that feature news items, highlights and a “Quick List” with links directly to important applications such as Veterans On Line Applications (VONAPP) and MyHealtheVet. Check out VA’s new Web face by clicking here.

God Bless
Jose M. Garcia
National Executive Director
Catholic War Veterans,USA
josegarcia4@sbcglobal.net
Better to understand a little than to misunderstand a lot.
In God We Trust

Politics, Veteran Legislative Update, Veteran Pals

A Belated Congratulations To Councilman-Elect Steve Kozachik

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I have to apologize to Steve for not posting this right after the election count. I was out of town on Election Day, and then it just slipped by me.

So why congratulate Steve at a Veterans site? It is because he is the first elected local official that has shown an active, and I do mean active interest in the welfare of our returning veterans.

He hosted many events for these men and women and expressed interest in keeping their needs at the forefront of his governing. It is this zeitgeist that he creates around him, that got him elected. And I would speculate that nearly 1000 of our veterans for whom I helped him garner support, were responsible for much of the cross-over vote, as I know many of them to be Democrats, and Independents. ( I am a 30 year Independent)

The outgoing Councilwoman and staff promised on numerous occasions to host, Welcome Home Forums for our veterans transitioning to civilian life. There was no follow through on this and many other declarations made to constituents.

The first of these forums was just held at Himmel Park Library. Now that Steve K will be domiciling at Ward 6 Office, I am certain we will be welcome as we launch a nationwide program for understanding the unique needs of the combat veteran. Congratulations Steve. We got your back!

Politics, Veterans Global

Question For the Audience

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Here is a question that was put to me over the weekend. We will see how the collective consciousness and attuned intellect of our readers handle this one. I will sit back and listen.

If an increasing portion of our nations debt is owed to foreign banks, eg. 28% of our debt is owed to the Bank of Singapore, then who are our troops defending? That was the question.

Is there any true sovereignty when we are so beholden to international banking? How can you be patriotic under those conditions? My question.

Are we not being turned into a proxy UN Force? Ok… go!

Politics, Veteran Legislative Update, Veteran Pals, Veterans Benefits, Veterans' Spouses, Partners & Families

Head Injuries From War Mounting

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The following story was televised on ABC News Channel 7 in Arlington, Va. The technology that has been developed to objectify the unseen and frequently undiagnosed injuries of war; head injuries and post traumatic stress are going to tax the disability system to the maximum. Is this not the irony of 21st Century war? The cost of the aftermath of war may soon become so onerous that we can no longer afford to wage it!

And to think of how frequently the syndrome and symptoms of head injuries have occurred in the veteran population since the Civil War, which would have been the advent of huge blast injuries. So for 150 years we have had vets out there compromised in executive functioning and both they and the health professionals never knew what was up.

When grampa was on the front porch acting a little dink dauy and maybe drinking too much whiskey. The chances are real high that he was just clocked in the trenches of France in WWl.

Head Injuries have now become the signature wound of the War on Terrorism. Oddly this was the prevalent injury in WWll and Korea. In Vietnam it was small weapons fire and booby traps.

Is it not spooky that primitive warriors always find a way to enter combat with stronger Armies, both in weaponry and financing? Is there ever going to be an end to this insanity? Notice this is not a political question. It is the same one that the Generals have to deal with, because they have to replace these soldiers in the bush. So we got a bloody numbers game going on—-exactly like the days of William Westmoreland. Except this time the soldier survives to live a war of homeland disability. Isn’t this like a terrorist memo sent home?

One thing I have never understood is why we now state that PTSD was once defined as, “shell shock.” That is not really very accurate, because shell shock is its own baby as is PTSD. I know, I have experienced both.

The good news is that VA knows this and we now have some of best care in the world for our returning combatants. Tucson VA has is ranked as one of the best in the nation and its poly-trauma unit personnel are the unsung heroes of the day.

ABC NEWS STORY

Washington – Powerful scans are letting doctors watch just how the brain changes in veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and concussion-like brain injuries – signature damage of the Iraq (web | news) and Afghanistan wars. It’s work that one day may allow far easier diagnosis for patients – civilian or military – who today struggle to get help for these largely invisible disorders. For now it brings a powerful message: Problems too often shrugged off as “just in your head” in fact do have physical signs, now that scientists are learning where and how to look for them.

“There’s something different in your brain,” explains Dr. Jasmeet Pannu Hayes of Boston University, who is helping to lead that research at the Veterans Affairs’ National Center for PTSD. “Just putting a real physical marker there, saying that this is a real thing,” encourages more people to seek care.

Up to one in five U.S. veterans from the long-running combat in Iraq and Afghanistan is thought to have symptoms of PTSD. An equal number are believed to have suffered traumatic brain injuries, or TBIs – most that don’t involve open wounds but hidden damage caused by explosion’s pressure wave.
ABC 7 Talkback:
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Many of those TBIs are considered similar to a concussion, but because symptoms may not be apparent immediately, many soldiers are exposed multiple times, despite evidence from the sports world that damage can add up, especially if there’s little time between assaults.

“My brain has been rattled,” is how a recently retired Marine whom Hayes identifies only as Sgt. N described the 50 to 60 explosions he estimates he felt while part of an ordnance disposal unit.

Hayes studied the man in a new way, tracking how water flows through tiny, celery stalk-like nerve fibers in his brain – and found otherwise undetectable evidence that those fibers were damaged in a brain region that explained his memory problems and confusion.

It’s a noninvasive technique called “diffusion tensor imaging” that merely adds a little time to a standard MRI scan. Water molecules constantly move, bumping into each other and then bouncing away. Measuring the direction and speed of that diffusion in nerve fibers can tell if the fibers are intact or damaged. Those fibers are sort of a highway along which the brain’s cells communicate. The bigger the gaps, the more interrupted the brain’s work becomes.

“Sgt. N’s brain is very different,” Hayes told a military medical meeting last week. “His connective tissue has been largely compromised.”

There’s a remarkable overlap of symptoms between those brain injuries and PTSD, says Dr. James Kelly, a University of Colorado neurologist tapped to lead the military’s new National Intrepid Center of Excellence. It will open next year in Bethesda, Md., to treat both conditions.

Yes, headaches are a hallmark of TBI while the classic PTSD symptoms are flashbacks and nightmares. But both tend to cause memory and attention problems, anxiety, irritability, depression and insomnia. That means the two disorders share brain regions.

And Hayes can measure how some of those regions go awry in the vicious cycle that is PTSD, where patients feel like they’re reliving a trauma instead of understanding that it’s just a memory.

What happens? A brain processing system that includes the amygdala – the fear hot spot – becomes overactive. Other regions important for attention and memory, regions that usually moderate our response to fear, are tamped down.

“The good news is this neural signal is not permanent. It can change with treatment,” Hayes says.

Her lab performed MRI scans while patients either tried to suppress their negative memories, or followed PTSD therapy and changed how they thought about their trauma. That fear-processing region quickly cooled down when people followed the PTSD therapy.

It’s work that has implications far beyond the military: About a quarter of a million Americans will develop PTSD at some point in their lives. Anyone can develop it after a terrifying experience, from a car accident or hurricane to rape or child abuse.

More research is needed for the scans to be used in diagnosing either PTSD or a TBI. But some are getting close – like another MRI-based test that can spot lingering traces of iron left over from bleeding, thus signaling a healed TBI. If the brain was hit hard enough to bleed, then more delicate nerve pathways surely were damaged, too, Kelly notes.

—

EDITOR’S NOTE – Lauran Neergaard covers health and medical issues for The Associated Press in Washington.

Health, Veteran Pals, Veterans Benefits, Veterans Events, Veterans Global, Veterans' Spouses, Partners & Families

Upcoming Veterans Forum/ Himmel Park Library

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On Thursday, November 19th, 2009 from 5:45pm to 7:45pm at Himmel Park Library, located at 1035 N. Treat Ave, near Tucson Blvd. and Speedway, there will be a Forum for dialogue with the community about veterans of war returning home. The topic is:

VETERANS OVERCOMING TRANSITION ISSUES OF EXITING WAR AND ENTERING POLITE SOCIETY

Join us in a “Coming Home” dialogue that intends to inform and engage the whole community in learning new ways of viewing the veterans you know and love. This is the first in a series of panel discussions and is intended for veterans of all ages and families from all generations. An extensive question and answer session is scheduled.

For information call Sue Parker at Himmel Library 520-594-5305 ext.3

Alternative Care, Politics, Uncategorized, Veteran Legislative Update, Veteran Pals, Veterans Benefits, Veterans Global, Veterans' Spouses, Partners & Families

The Other Insurance Issue; The Sad Hypocritical One

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Following is a letter forwarded to me by a local combat veteran of the Marine Corps. His name has been deleted, but he has given permission to publish his petition for explanations for the declination of life insurance as a result of having a PTSD diagnosis. ( Note. Since this was posted the author has elected to share his name. It is Pete Bourret. He is a combat veteran of the Marine Corps who served in Vietnam.)

I am familiar with this very sad fact of life. I am equally conversant with its prevalence and the gross lack of justice involved. The impunity embedded in our nations Insurance industry is soon to become a national disgrace. The irony of the fact that a warrior can defend his/her nation and its system of capitalism and in turn not be qualified for life insurance, is beyond comprehension.

Someone, somewhere, has created some bogus science that states that Post Traumatic Stress shortens ones life span. This veteran is asking to see proof of this assertion. I am asking to see studies, from either the National Institute of Health or the VA, that indicate this confabulation.

Can you imagine the impact on a young soldier with a family when they learn that the mental health care they received on the heels of war is preventing them from protecting their very own family’s finances. I see rage on the horizon. I see class action law suits. And worse, I see the myriad of caring outreach programs at Vet Centers and VA clinics backfiring when the word travels that you are sealing off your future financial options. Who do these folks think they are? Maybe we should just draft all executives in the insurance industry first.

So the citizen soldier who is wounded in war is rendered incapable of being a full citizen in the country they just upheld. Is there a more poignant hypocrisy to be found?

We will be re-visiting this open wound in the veteran community over the next several months. Possibly, the parent company of the Citizen, Gannett, can help us out with a feature article in USA Today, which is known for its veteran and military coverage. Or are they too owned by the Insurance Industry?

November 11, 2009

Pruco Life
PO Box 8660
Philadelphia, PA 19176-8660

Denise Holmgren
Vice President, Underwriting:

This letter is in response to your companies response to my request for specific information, which I have requested on multiple occasions yet have failed to receive; a copy of your original letter will not suffice.

Please advise me if I should conclude that your determination of my uninsurability was based on my Post Traumatic Stress Disorder diagnosis in general. I ask this because I have repeatedly requested the specific information (three times) that you utilized in your determination; however, I only received several hundred pages of my VA mental health records without any specific details. Let me be as clear as I can be: I expect you to submit to me the specific language that caused your organization to draw the conclusion that I am not an appropriate candidate for life insurance.

This is my last request for this information that you have an obligation to provide to me in a timely manner. I find it ironic that I am writing this letter to your organization on Veterans’ Day, yet it seems that your company fails to honor veterans who served and became casualties of war. The fact that your organization believes that a veteran with a PTSD diagnosis is a poor candidate for a life insurance policy shows that there is great ignorance about this diagnosis within your organization. Had you bothered to check with my psychiatrist because of a concern, you would have discovered that I am much more than the basic notes that he wrote. You were too busy to do that because we know that the business of American business is the bottom line. For veterans like myself, when I volunteered to serve as a combat Marine in Vietnam in 1967 and 1968, my bottom line was to defend your freedom and to protect my fellow Marines. I guess our values do not coincide.

In closing, I ask you to re-evaluated your process for determining insurability in the area of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Regardless, it only makes sense that potential recruits to the Armed Forces should be made aware through full disclosure that serving is also hazardous to their insurability should they be traumatized by of combat. As a retired English teacher with too much time on his hands, I will gladly set the educational process in motion. I think it is time that people learn how your organization actually “supports” the troops.

Happy Veterans’ Day,

Peter Bourret/USMC

Veteran Pals, Veterans Events, Veterans Global, Veterans' Spouses, Partners & Families

Happy Veterans Day At Laffs Comedy Club

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Now ladies and gentlemen of the TucsonCitizen.com this is funny stuff. This salute to veterans has been sitting here all day in a draft form. So,I will share some humanity with you… It is possible that the Marine Corps Birthday was a bit too spirited, therefore effecting the memory of Grampa! I just now realized that I did not post it,as I have had more phone calls today inbound and outbound, with cheers for Vets then ever in personal history. What a treat. What respect. Respect is good for the soul. Makes me feel energized and appreciated. I do hope one day we can celebrate the “Last Warrior.” Is it possible?

Join us tonight at Laffs for a show entitled “Comics for Courage” that benefits the Wounded Warrior Project. Show time 7pm. Suggested donation $12. You know what is funny? They don’t have any Marines on stage. They don’t know us huh? So my one liner;You know why there is no such thing as a former Marine?….. you can’t reverse a lobotomy!!

Politics, Veteran Legislative Update, Veterans Global

Veterans Support Clean Energy/National Security at Stake

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— On Wed, 11/11/09, Beth Pramme wrote:

From: Beth Pramme
Subject: RELEASE: Veterans, National Security Leaders Stand Up For Clean Energy In New Repower America TV Ad
To: “Beth Pramme”
Date: Wednesday, November 11, 2009, 10:15 AM

For immediate release: November 11, 2009

Press inquiries:

Beth Pramme, 480-326-8876, Beth.Pramme@climateprotect.org

Alice McKeon, 202-567-6800, press@climateprotect.org

Veterans, National Security Leaders Stand Up For Clean Energy In New Repower America TV Ad

Generals Brent Scowcroft and Wesley Clark join young veterans in call for bold action on clean energy and climate change to end America’s dependence on foreign oil and strengthen our national security

PHOENIX – As the nation prepares to celebrate Veterans Day and honor the brave men and women who serve in our Armed Forces, the Alliance for Climate Protection’s Repower America campaign today released a new television ad featuring veterans and national security leaders calling for bold action now on clean energy and climate change to strengthen America’s national security. The ad, called “Voices – Veterans,” will run on national cable starting on Veterans Day.

“Voices – Veterans” features young Iraq War veterans alongside respected military and national security leaders such as General Brent Scowcroft and General Wesley Clark making the urgent call for action now on clean energy and climate change so that we can end America’s dependence on foreign oil and strengthen our national security. General Scowcroft, U.S. National Security Advisor under Presidents Gerald Ford and George H. W. Bush and a retired Lieutenant General in the U.S. Air Force, states in the ad that “climate change threatens our national security,” while Terron Sims, Jr., a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served in Iraq says, “Stop sending our dollars overseas to be used against us.” General Wesley Clark, a 34-year U.S. Army veteran who served as NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, concludes the ad stating, “We need to repower and there is no better time to do it than right now.”

“By taking control of our energy future, we can prevent future conflict overseas and keep our men and women in uniform out of harm’s way,” said Repower Arizona Communications Director Beth Pramme. “Even top-ranking retired admirals and generals have said that a first priority for our leaders should be fully integrating climate change and energy security into national security. By repowering America with clean energy, we can stop sending our hard-earned money overseas for foreign oil, invest it here to get our economy moving again, and help solve the climate crisis.”

This new TV ad is a continuation of the groundbreaking multimedia campaign launched by Repower America last week to demonstrate broad national consensus – from veterans, faith leaders, the business community, conservationists and more – for bold action on clean energy and climate. The new Repower effort, supported by an integrated online, field and advertising campaign, centers around a virtual Repower Wall, where thousands of people have already uploaded messages of strong support for action to create clean energy jobs, safeguard America’s economic and national security future, and solve the climate crisis. The Repower Wall may be accessed at www.repoweramerica.org/wall.

Veterans from Arizona have already posted to the Repower Wall, including:

John Adams, Retired U.S. Army Brigadier General: “I think it’s important for us to move to a clean energy economy. So much of our energy now comes from hostile regimes who are essentially holding us hostage. We’ve got the resources here at home to provide our own energy. We’ve got the resources here at home to protect our environment and pass it on to our children. It’s important for our leaders and our people to come together now to really make a difference and convert to a clean energy economy.”

· Watch John’s full Repower Wall post:

http://www.repoweramerica.org/wall/#/view/12141

John Young, Veteran: “Clean energy is a great first step to a brighter future.”

· Watch John’s full Repower Wall post:

http://www.repoweramerica.org/wall/#/view/8938

Alan MacFarlane, Veteran: “The human race needs clean power to survive. If you don’t know it, know it now. If you don’t believe it, believe it before it becomes too late. ”

· Watch Alan’s full Repower Wall post:

http://www.repoweramerica.org/wall/#/view/12381

John Chiazza, Veteran: “Veterans are looking for jobs, and these clean energy jobs are going to be ideal for them. These clean energy initiatives are going to bring jobs where we need them.”

· Watch John’s full Repower Wall post:

http://www.repoweramerica.org/wall/#/view/13112

Already, more than 22,000 individuals have added their faces and voices to the Repower Wall, and more than 40 leading corporations and non-governmental organizations have contributed their logos to the effort – including companies like Nike, PepsiCo, Starbucks, Staples, eBay and Exelon, as well as organizations such as the United Steel Workers, National Farmers Union, Trout Unlimited, Republicans for Environmental Protection and the American Nurses Association.

According to the Center for American Progress, transitioning to a clean energy economy will create more than 29,000 jobs here in Arizona while revitalizing our economy, strengthening our national security and breaking our dependence on foreign oil.

Script: “Voices – Veterans” (TV-:30)

Ken Nagel, U.S. Navy Veteran: Why join the fight to repower America with clean energy?

General Brent Scowcroft: Because climate change threatens our national security.

Ambassador Wendy R. Sherman: It’s crucial that America become energy independent.

Jackie Rodgers, Jr., U.S. Navy Veteran: I saw first-hand how America’s dependence on foreign oil threatens our national security.

Terron Sims, Jr., U.S. Marine Corps Veteran: Stop sending our dollars overseas to be used against us.

Jonathan Powers, U.S. Army Veteran: America must reestablish itself as a country that leads by example.

General Wesley Clark: We need to repower and there is no better time to do it than right now.

About the Alliance for Climate Protection’s Repower America campaign:

The Alliance for Climate Protection launched the Repower America campaign to galvanize the American public around a bold new clean energy plan and a revitalized national energy infrastructure that will jumpstart our economy and create millions of jobs; help end our dependence on foreign oil; reward innovation and job creation, not polluters; and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and slow the threat of climate change. For more information, visit www.repoweramerica.org.

– 30 –

Beth Pramme
Communications Director
Repower Arizona
Beth.Pramme@climateprotect.org
(602) 252-2044 Office
(480) 326-8876 Cell
Facebook: Repower Arizona
Twitter: RepowerArizona
P Please consider the environment before printing this email

Veteran Legislative Update, Veterans Benefits, Veterans' Spouses, Partners & Families

OBAMA LAUNCHES MAJOR EMPLOYMENT INITIATIVE

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The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

November 09, 2009

President Obama Launches Major Veterans Employment Initiative
Initiative Would Transform Federal Government into Model of Veterans Employment

Washington, DC – Today, the White House announced the launch of an initiative that is designed to transform the federal government into the model employer of America’s veterans. This evening, President Obama will be joined by Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki, Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and Office of Personnel Management Director John Berry to sign an Executive Order on the Employment of Veterans in the federal government, which establishes the Veterans Employment Initiative for the Executive Branch. The Initiative underscores to federal agencies the importance of recruiting and training veterans, aims to increase the employment of veterans within the Executive Branch, and helps recently hired veterans adjust to service in a civilian capacity.

“Honoring our sacred trust with America’s veterans means doing all we can to help them find work when they come home so they never feel as if the American Dream they fought to defend is out of reach for them and their families,” said President Obama. “But this initiative is about more than repaying our debt for their courageous service and selfless sacrifice. It’s also about continuing to fill the ranks of federal employees with men and women who possess the skills, dedication, and sense of duty that Americans deserve from their public servants. And few embody those qualities like our nation’s veterans.”

The Executive Order creates an interagency Council on Veterans Employment that will advise the President and the Director of the Office of Personnel Management on the veterans’ employment initiative. The Council will be chaired by Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis and Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki. OPM Director John Berry will serve as the Vice Chair and Chief Operating Officer of the Council.

“Veterans have shown unmatched dedication to public service,” said Secretary Shinseki. “They offer leadership and technical skills that are in high demand, whether in the public or private workforce. Not only does this initiative present an opportunity for Veterans to serve their Nation once again, the Nation will benefit from the education and training Veterans received in the Armed Forces. I am looking forward to working with Secretary Solis and Director Berry to achieve the objectives of this initiative across the federal government.”

“Veterans are an important part of our nation’s past, present and future. They deserve our full support as they reintegrate into the civilian workforce,” said Secretary Solis, “In signing this Executive Order, President Obama underscores his Administration’s commitment to our military men and women, and keeps us squarely on the path to achieving the goal of good jobs for everyone.”

“President Obama strongly believes in honoring the service of our veterans and he sees this initiative as an opportunity to put some real muscle behind that promise,” said Director Berry. “The strong sense of patriotism and public service held by members of our armed forces doesn’t leave them when they exit from active duty. It benefits our government to seize this opportunity to utilize their skills and dedication to service. The Veterans Employment Initiative will help our federal agencies identify qualified veterans, clarify the hiring process for veterans seeking employment with the federal government, and help our veterans adjust to civilian life once they are hired.”

The Order also establishes a Veterans Employment Program office within most federal agencies. These offices will be responsible for helping veterans identify employment opportunities within those federal agencies, providing feedback to veterans about their employment application status, and helping veterans recently employed by these agencies adjust to civilian life and a workplace culture often different than military service.

In addition, the Office of Personnel Management will issue a government-wide strategic plan that will focus on creating leadership commitment and an infrastructure in each agency to promote continued skills development and employment success for veterans. The strategic plan will also include marketing strategies aimed at agency hiring managers as well as veterans and transitioning service members.

“This Executive Order reflects the shared commitment across the Obama administration to hiring American veterans,” said Secretary Napolitano. “Veterans play a vital role in the Department of Homeland Security’s mission to protect the nation, which is why we have pledged to grow our veteran workforce to more than 50,000 Department-wide by 2012.”

At the end of Fiscal Year 2008, there were approximately 480,000 veterans working within the federal government.

For more information, visit: www.fedshirevets.gov

Uncategorized, Veteran Pals, Veterans' Spouses, Partners & Families

Happy Birthday Marine Corps!

33 Comments

234 years of Semper Fidelis;Always Faithful. Happy Birthday fellow Marines. The title cannot be inherited. Nor can it be purchased. You and no one alive can buy it for any price. It is impossible to rent and cannot be lent. You alone and our own have earned it with your sweat. blood and tears. You own it forever’ the title ‘United States Marine.”

Be safe Marines. Mike Brewer/ 7th Marines/ 1st Marine Air Wing.

Hang out for combat veterans and families.